History Hikes Capreol.Cdr
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bell. The church also contains beautiful stained glass windows that were donated in memory of parishioners who passed away. 9. Citizen Service Centre and Library (9 Morin St.) The building that now CN l 3 Tracks houses Capreol's Citizen o Service Centre and e Library was the Central 2 r L Public School, originally ak e p built in 1919. The school sh 4 or operated until 1970 when students were moved to e 1 a a bigger school, C.R. Judd, which was named after C Central Public's first principal. Prior to 1919 g t : students attended class in a temporary location on in en K c e s i e S Young St., and preceding this, in school boxcars. Marshy r n C n One part of the car served as the classroom and Lake e E the other as living quarters for the teachers. D Students often had to search for the school cars in K the morning because they were frequently I shunted the night before. Capreol's youngsters V a H ug l attended classes in these types of boxcars until 6 l h e n h 1915. c t Y 5 i M 10. Memorial Community Centre and R r e 7 the Millennium Resource Centre v i s O R n k 8 (South Side of Meehan Ave.) a n c H o a m a T li n p These two sites demonstrate the commitment of i r n a m T r a h Ve C Capreol's citizens to provide their community with N S C 9 topnotch recreation and cultural facilities. I Walking Route C Capreol's Memorial Community Centre stands on o (approx: 2km) u H l the location of the original indoor rink which was s o built in 1928 and destroyed by fire in 1944. The Historical Site 1 n current facility was built in 1949 and contains an e i arena as well as a community hall for weddings, [murmur] n n dances, etc. The Millennium Centre building Recorded Story e D han formerly housed Capreol High School which Mee 10 opened in 1926. Although the high school was Memory Sign closed in the 1990's, the building was reopened as the Millennium Centre in 1998. The centre contains a medical clinic, a fitness centre, a youth centre, 19 bunkhouse rooms, training rooms, and a computer lab. Visit www.rainbowroutes.com for: 1) History Hikes of Downtown, McNaughton Subdivision, Flour Mill, Copper Cliff 2) Descriptions of the historical photos 3) Acknowledgments & Bibliography Design & Content: Patrick Moores Rainbow Routes Association 1. Prescott Park and the Northern Ontario of boxcars were even used as the frames for some cutting of a base line east of Garson Mine where Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre homes on Railway Ave. The station was also the Edison missed the main ore body by inches, feet or (26 Bloor St.) location of a royal visit in 1939 when King George yards, depending on who tells the story. The name In 1966 the Canadian National Railway (CNR) VI and Queen Elizabeth stepped off their royal “Capreol” comes from Frederick Chase Capreol donated Engine 6077 to the citizens of Capreol in train to the cheers of 5000 people. who, despite never seeing the area with his own commemoration of the town's railway employees. eyes, was chiefly responsible for the concept of This steam locomotive is used as the centerpiece 4. Young St. Young St. and Bloor St. building railroads in Ontario. of Prescott Park which also boasts a wooden were the two earliest caboose and a rules instruction car that was used 6. Former Nepitt’s General Store streets in Capreol. After a to educate CNR workers. Located adjacent to the (76 Young St.) major fire in 1920 many of park in the former house of Capreol's first CNR Alex and Mary Nepitt operated their general store the stores were relocated superintendent is the Northern Ontario Railroad from this location for over fifty years, providing from the east to the west side of Young St. The Museum and Heritage Centre. In addition to groceries and other supplies to residents and west side was also struck by fire two years later. providing the history of the railroad in the area, labour camps. When Moose Mountain Mine in Young St. continues to serve as the main business the museum also contains exhibits depicting Sellwood closed, Alex had bricks from the blast district in Capreol. Three buildings of special note Capreol's founding and heritage. For more furnaces hauled to Capreol to build Nepitt's are the Pro Hardware (#13), the Royal Canadian information about the museum visit their website: General Store. All the bricks were transported by Legion (#16) and Drago’s Store(#37). The site of www.northernontariorailroadmuseum.ca. horse and wagon and construction took over one the Pro Hardware was formerly occupied by the year to complete before the store was opened in Audion Theatre, originally built as the Imperial 2. Site of the Railroad Y.M.C.A. – (Bloor St.) 1923. Remnants of molten metal from the Theatre in 1919. As well as screening movies until The Railroad Y.M.C.A. furnaces are still visible on the edges of many 1972, the theatre was a temporary home to some was completed in 1921 bricks. and served as a rooming of Capreol's church congregations after major church fires or during construction of new house for CNR workers 7. Ghost Towns and as a recreational churches. The legion building was the former If you travel north from centre for Capreol's residents. Although a fire location of Plexman's General Store, one of this location, Dennie St. delayed its opening, the wait was well worth it as Capreol's earliest stores. Drago’s Store has been becomes Sellwood Ave., the building became the largest railroad Y.M.C.A. a fixture of Young St. since 1920 when it opened a reminder of the ghost in Canada at that time. The building boasted a as a general store before evolving into a men's town of the same name. bowling alley, billiard tables and a library in clothing and family shoe store. Young St. was also S e l l w o o d w a s a addition to its hot baths and boarding rooms. After once home to two pool rooms, a butcher shop and residential centre for a deadly train derailment in 1930, the facility was a Studebaker sales office. workers at Moose Mountain Mine from 1901 to converted for a short time into a makeshift 1920, although prospectors and First Nations 5. Approximate Location of the First House hospital. Although popular in its time, the need for people had already settled the area. At its peak, The first house in Capreol the Y.M.C.A. declined as residents were able to the town had a population of 1500, eight stores, a was a log cabin located travel to Sudbury on improved roads. The building bowling alley, two hotels and electricity and f i f t y f e e t f r o m t h e was closed in 1978 and then demolished in early telephone service. When the mine closed many of Vermilion River. The cabin 1979. the residents migrated to Capreol; the Sellwood was constructed by the town site was eventually abandoned in 1924. 3. Railway Station (Front St.) founder of Capreol, Frank Milnet is another ghost town formerly located Dennie, and his brother Mac. Frank purchased The railway station in Capreol has stood on this slightly north of Capreol. Devastating fires in the 300 acres of land in the area where the CNR was site since 1915 when the track was relocated from early 1930's at the town's central employer, the planning to build a divisional post. When plans for the west bank of the Vermilion River. A newer logging mill, resulted in a dwindling population the post were finalized, Frank then offered to give station and a roundhouse were built in 1919; that all but vanished by 1940. the company 100 acres of the land in exchange for however, the present structure is comprised of a signed document guaranteeing that the CNR three sections built between 1959 and 1976. 8. St. Alban the Martyr Church would maintain Capreol as a rail centre for all Capreol developed outward from the rail yards. (36 Dennie St.) time. Although this agreement was tested in 1958 Many early families and CNR workers lived in St. Alban the Martyr Anglican Church was by the CNR who wanted to move the repair shops, boxcars until permanent homes could be built for constructed in 1923 and contains two features Dennie reminded the company of their them. The patience of these early boxcar dwellers that highlight Capreol's history. First, the commitment and so the shops remained in the must be admired considering the contents of their inseparable relationship with the railroad is town. As an interesting side note, Frank Dennie homes were shifted and spilled when the cars were evident in the church bell which was installed in was once hired by Thomas Edison to supervise the shunted around the rail yard in the evening. Pairs 1926 and formerly served as a CNR locomotive .